Some mean fellows have been bothering my Friend, ol’ Hatchet Jack, and ol’ Hatchet Jack is saying that he needs some help. These fellows are saying that he can’t squat in the snow drift any more or something, but they don’t understand that that is part of who he is, and that it’s not his fault he’s frozen.

Ol’ Hatchet Jack has lost his official documentation (I don’t think they were making Birth Certificates back when he was born, it was a while ago, but I won’t tell) and so I made him a Badge.

If you bother with my Friends, then I don’t like you. In fact, if you bother my Friends, then I think I hate you. Very much. I won’t say any more than that here in public, because I’m a nice girl now. But you know what I would say, don’t you? So you have been warned.

Why couldn’t they have hired ME for The Sound of Music, instead of that Julie!

I knew there was a reason I left all those photos locked away in that box and didn’t open them for decades. Too many bad memories! But then I took out that Black Sunday photo (I liked that one) and then ol’ Hatchet Jack made that nice flowers picture which reminded me of testing for The Sound of Music.

And then I found these other screen test shots with the rest of the cast.

from the “So Long” scene, with me standing on the floor.

When we tried that, they said I looked like one of the kids.

The “So Long” scene, with me standing on a box, beside Chris Plummer.

They weren’t too keen on that shot, either. They said it looked like I was standing on a box. Which I was, but still, it wasn’t nice to say that.

We then tried this shot outside, and I thought it turned out very well. The way we were staring into one another’s eyes, I think the love connection between the characters was nicely captured.

My screen test outside on the patio with the rest of the cast of The Sound of Music.

But the next day, when Chris Plummer complained that his neck was aching, after that Julie had arrived, and then she went over and started rubbing his neck, I kind of got the message that they were going do discriminated against me because I am height efficient.

What a disappointment. That film could have re-launched my career. And in a good way, too.

This immediately reminded me of another film I tried out for, shortly after my famous role in that Twilight Zone episode (the one that made me typecast for life as a cute-little-doll-that-kills) , where I would have run through a mountain meadow, laughing and singing with other children.

Now, again, I’m not one to harp on the same old issue over and over again, but they did finally give the role to someone who was taller than me (by a head or three), but I still think you can imagine my beautiful voice ringing throughout the mountain meadows just as prettily has hers, and I could have shot the kissing scenes with Captain von Trapp using some lifts or maybe standing on a little box or something. Or camera angles. I would have just had to be careful not to stand too close to Gretl (or especially Liesl) when I was giving her matronly advice. It would have worked.

Anyway, I tested for the role on a Tuesday, and that Julie girl showed up the next day, saw my screen test, and went ahead and down-right mimicked me, in style and pose and everything.

Jinxed by Julie, another screen test photo, this from 1965 (animated GIF by iamTalkyTina)

AND SHE GOT THE ROLE! Can you believe it???

I still think my beautiful red, flowing locks were much nicer than her Joan-of-Arc-I’m-a-nun-hack-job haircut.

I did enjoy hanging out in Austria that summer, though. Although when they offered me a bit part as the lonely goatherd’s love interest, I told them to shove it! Sheesh!

Granted, this gal has certainly aged well. Some would say that I have a timeless look. And that’s always nice to hear. But always hearing “too young” gets on my nerves sometimes.

“You’re not what we’re looking for.”
“You’re too wholesome”
“Your cute dimples tell everyone you’re a good girl, and we’re looking for someone with a more sinister look.”

I don’t think it was my height, because that wouldn’t be nice not to cast people just based on that.

But I kept hearing that “too young”, over and over, in the early sixties.

And then I got my big break on that Twilight Zone episode, and I decided to really put my all in to that role — and look what it got me.

Typecast. Typecast as the evil-little-doll-girl that kills.

At least I made some nice friends during that screen test. Demon and Alistair let me ride them around the set, and helped me get to the craft table before everyone else for all the yummy goodies during the break.